Fence-clamp.



J. M. DILLON.

FENCE CLAMP.

APPLIOATION FILED DBO. 2s, 1911.

1,0463150'. Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

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JOHN MARTIN DILLON, OF STERLING, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO NORTHWESTERN BARBWIRE COMPANY, OF STERLING, ILLINOIS.

FENCE-CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN MARTIN DILLON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sterling, in the county of Whiteside and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fence-Clamps; and Ido declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention,

jects are accomplished by the construction.

hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and as shown in thedrawings wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of this clamp in positionupon a fence; Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective views of the outer and innermembers respectively; Figs. 4: and 5 are enlarged cross sections on theline 45 of Fig. 1 showing the inner member as turned part way into theouter, and the inner member turned farther into the outer member, a wireor fence clamped between them, and the connecting means engaging saidmembers; Fig. 6 is a perspective detail of a slightly modified form ofone of the arms of the connecting member.

In the drawings I have not considered it necessary to illustrate thestretching means, because the fence having once been clamped by thisimproved grip, any desired means may be employed for moving the grip tostretch a section of the fencing. The grip itself is made up of metallicmembers of any suitable size and proportion, and the metal employed maybe of iron or steel angle iron whose leaves are of equal or unequalwidth, and of sufficient weight to stand the strain of stretchingwithout bending.

The grip comprising the subject matter of this invention is composed oftwo members, each bent along its midlength into V-shaped cross sectionwith the extremities of one side or leaf turned in and secured as byriveting The outer member is slightly larger than the the same. That isto say, the outer member comprises two leaves 1 and 2 with a rightangle3 between them extending throughoutthe length of this member, a lowerclosed end 4 of substantially diamond shape with a pin 5 rising from theouter point thereof, an upper closed end 6 of similar shape with anangular or L-shaped slot 7 through its body near its outer point and theinner extremity of which stands over said pin 5. From one leaf, as thatnumbered 1, and at about the center of its length projects an arm 8pierced with an eye 9. The other member comprises two leaves 11 and 12with an angle 13 between them, a closed lower end 14 having an eye 15disposed in a manner to appear hereinafter and adapted to be engaged bysaid pin 5 in the outer member, a closed upper end 16 having a pin 17adapted to engage the L-shaped slot 7 in a manner to ap the leaf 12 andpierced with an eye 19.

As will be seen from Fig. 2, the pivots of the outer member (by whichterm I include the pin 5 rising from its lower end 4 and the innerextremity of the L-shaped slot 7 in its upper end), are so disposed inthe diamondshaped ends 4 and 6 that they stand a little nearer the edge22 of the leaf 2 than the edge 21 of the leaf 1; whereas the pivots ofthe inner member are shown in Fig. 3 as standing relatively considerablynearer to the outer edge 32 of the leaf 12 than they are to the outeredge 31 of the leaf 11. It follows, therefore, that when the two membersare engaged with each other and turned, the inner member moves aroundits pivots eccentrically within the outer member as the two armsapproach each other. For causing them to so approach, any suitablemechanism may be employed, but in the present instance I haveillustrated a chain 25 con nected with the eye 9 of the arm 8 andpassing through the slot 19 of the arm 18 which slot is of key-holeshape so that the links of the chain may be drawn through its larger endand then moved to its other end and engaged therein to hold the twomembers in their clamping position. Any other equivalent means may beemployed for moving the members relatively to each other, but this issufficient for illustration.

With the parts constructed as above described, the operation of thisimproved grip or clamp is as follows: The outer member is placed to oneside of the article to be clamped, as for instance a section of fencewire fabric, and held in upright position; then the inner member isbrought into place on the other side of said section and the eye in itslower endengag-ed over the pin in the lower end of the outer member, andthe pin in its upper end passed into the L- shaped slot in the upper endof the outer member so that the two members become pivotally connected.The device is then moved along the fence, or the fence drawn through thedevice, until the stretch of fencing is as tight as may be and thestretching mechanism proper (not shown) is in position to work. Thegrip-actuating de vices are then moved, and in the present instance thismeans that the chain is drawn upon so that the inner member is turnedwithin the outer; and, moving on the piv otal connection between thetwo, its angle 13 first passes the outer edge 21 of the leaf 1 of theouter member and the wire fabric will be clamped or clasped betweenthese two parts if it be of sufficient thickness. If not, as the inner,member is further turned around its pivots, the fence fabric is given aslight crimp or bend between the angles of the two members, and if saidfabric have stiffness enough this will clamp it. If not, still furtherrotation of the inner member within the outer member will cause the freeouter edge 31 of the leaf 11 to approach the free outer edge of the leaf1 so that the fabric is finally clamped between these edges if notelsewhere. The chain is then engaged with the smaller end of the slot 19to hold the members in such position, and the stretching means actuatedto stretch the fence. The latter is then stapled to the post as usual,after which the clamp is disengaged and moved elsewhere for renewedoperation. As above suggested, the slot 19 in the arm 8 is by preferencemade in such shape that the chain may draw through one end thereof butwill be engaged in the other end thereof, and in Fig. 8 I have shown itof key-hole shape for this purpose. In Fig. 6, however, is shown aslight modification of this detail wherein the arm-8' is provided with akey-hole slot 9' whose larger end opens out the upper edge of the arm.When a chain is employed at this point, the open slot may be preferablebecause in the act of applying this device to a fence wire fabric thechain will have to be passed through the mesh thereof and engaged withthe eye to hold the grip closed, and disengaged from the eye and removedfrom the mesh afterward so that the entire grip can be with drawn. Irepeat that any other suitable form of mechanism might be substitutedwithout departing from theprinciple of my. I

invention. Also it will be clear that this grip could be used in otherconnections than for stretching fences, and details could be modified toa considerable extent. The inner member might, in fact, be solid, andboth members could be made of other material than sheet metal although Iprefer the latter for the sake of cheapness and light ness.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a fence wire stretcher, a grip comprising anouter member having anangular face and its ends inturned, the lower end being provided with apivot pin and the upper end with an L-shaped slot whose inner extremityis in line with said pin and both of them beingdisposed at differentdistances from the faces of this member; an inner member having anangular exterior and'inturned ends, the lowermost having an eye and'theuppermost having a projecting pin forming pivots detachably engagingthose in the endsof the outer member, and means for turning one memberwithin the other. 7

2. In a fence wire stretcher, a grip comprising an outer member havingan angular face and its ends inturned, the lower end being provided witha pivot pin and the upper end with an L-shaped slot whose innerextremity is in line with said pin and both of thembeing disposed atdifierent distances from the faces of this member; an inner memberhaving an angular exterior and inturned ends, the lowermost having aneye and the uppermost having a projecting pin forming pivots detachablyengaging those in the ends of the outer member, and the pivots of theinner member being also disposed at different distances from its faces;and means for turning one member within the other.

3. The herein described grip for the purpose set forth, comprising anouter sheet metal member of V-shaped cross section having inturned ends,the lower end being provided with a pivot pin and the upper end with anangular slot whose inner extremity is in line with said pin and both ofthem being disposed at different distances from the faces of thismember; an inner member also of sheet metal and of V-shaped crosssection with inturned ends, the lowermost having an eye and theuppermost having a projecting pin forming pivots detachably engagingthose in the ends of the outer mem ber, and the pivots of the innermember being also disposed at different distances from pose set forth,comprising an outer sheet metal member of V-shaped cross section havinginturned ends, the lower end being provided with a pivot pin and theupper end with a slot whose inner extremity is in line with said pin; aninner member also of sheet metal and of V-shaped cross section withinturned ends, the lowermost having an eye and the uppermost having aprojecting pin forming pivots detachably engaging those in the ends ofthe outer member, and the pivots of the inner member being dis posed atdifferent distances from its faces; arms projecting outward from oneleaf of the outer member and the relatively opposite leaf of the innermember, and pierced with openings near their outer extremities, one ofsaid openings being of key-hole shape, and a chain whose extremity isattached to the plain opening and whose links are re movably engagedWith said key-hole opening.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOHN MARTIN DILLON.

Witnesses:

W. O. FORBES, HORACE R. BROWN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

